The aging baby boomer generation has increased the deficit between the number of people who need skilled medical care and the number of people able to provide that care.

To help combat the shortage, the Thomas Edison State College in Trenton was awarded $700,000 in grants to fund scholarships at its W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing for the accelerated second degree bachelor of science in nursing program for adults who hold a degree in a subject other than nursing and wish to become registered nurses.

“It will have a huge impact,” Dr. Phyllis Marshall, dean of the W. Cary Edwards school, said of the new scholarship grants.

The Helene Fuld Health Trust, the nation’s largest private funder for nursing students and nursing education, gave $650,000 in grants to the school. Half of the money, $325,000, has been allocated for scholarships in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, while the other half is being used to create an endowment for future scholarships.

This year, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will give five traditionally underrepresented and underprivileged students $10,000 each through their New Careers in Nursing scholarship program, with the goals of alleviating the nursing shortage and increasing the diversity of nurses.

“New Careers in Nursing (NCIN) has made amazing strides in helping schools of nursing recruit and retain diverse students in these competitive and rigorous accelerated degree programs,” said Dr. David Krol, senior program officer for the RJW Foundation.

The accelerated second degree bachelor of science in nursing is an intensive one-year program that combines classroom and online learning, in addition to clinical work at the Capital Health centers in Trenton and Hopewell. Approximately 20 people are currently enrolled in the program, which is going on its third year, according to Marshall.

“People want to become nurses and there are a bunch of avenues to do that,” Marshall said, noting that the average age of the students is about 36, and most have had careers outside the medical field.

She said those who graduate from the program and become registered nurses are being hired very quickly.

After the W. Cary Edwards school finalizes its 2015 class, admitted students will be able to apply for the scholarships this fall.

Marshall said the scholarship grants are a win-win for everyone, because the scholarships bring more people to Thomas Edison State College, and that brings more people into the city.